The 7 Best Calligraphy Pen Sets

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Calligraphy pens are the key to beautiful lettering.

Calligraphy is a beautiful art that requires very little in the way of tools but that gives amazing and decorative results by forming beautiful symbols and lettering by inscribing them using ink and a special calligraphy pen.

A calligraphy pen with an ergonomically shaped handle, or a handle made from a slightly soft handle that is easy to grip is a good choice.

Lighter calligraphy pens are also easier to hold and work with than heavier pens.

Another point to consider is whether to choose a cartridge calligraphy pen or the traditional dip nib style. Each type has its own advantages and drawbacks.

Calligraphy pens that use in cartridges are more convenient and less messy to use, and as a result may be better for beginners.

On the other hand, dip calligraphy pens offer more freedom and versatility when it comes to nib and ink choice. Choosing between the two types is really down to personal preference.

Here’s a look at dip pen calligraphy:

Nibs are what dictate the final look and style of the calligraphy script, and there is a large selection to choose from.

Nibs tend to fall into two different categories; italic nibs which have a flat, straight edge and are ideal for italic and gothic script styles, and flex nibs which as the name suggests offer more flexibility when it comes to style.

They are made up of two rounded points which separate when pressure is applied, which in turn changes the width of the line that is produced on the paper.

As a general rule, an italic nib is more appropriate for dramatic script styles, whilst flex nibs are delicate and a little more elegant.

Best Calligraphy Pen Brands

There are an overwhelming number of calligraphy pen brands, but not all are made equal.

Well known brands such as the Parallel series by Pilot, Rotring, Scheafer and Speedball offer some good models, and Japanese calligraphy pen brands including Tachikawa G and Tombow also have a good range of quality products.

Best Calligraphy Pens

Here are our top picks of the best calligraphy pens for you to get your hands on right now.

The nib of the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens offer a great deal of flexibility when it comes to script style.

Light and easy to use, these calligraphy pens use black water based inks with a flexible brush nib, and the pair includes one hard tip and one soft tip to give greater range when creating extra fine to medium strokes.

Very affordable and easy to use — these Tombow pens are perfect for beginners.

Pros

Easy to use

Good for beginners who are learning

Flexible brush tip gives precision strokes

Ink runs very smoothly

Works well for Chinese and Japanese lettering

Gives good contrast between up and down strokes

Cons

Not refillable — once the ink has run out it is necessary to replace the entire pen

A great set for calligraphy beginners, the Speedball Calligraphy Set features a dip pen with a smooth and lightweight plastic handle and three nibs with different widths which have a special ink reservoir that keep ink flowing effortlessly.

Provided is also a good sized jar of permanent black ink to give novices everything they need to get started on their calligraphy projects easily.

This is a really good set for people wanting to transform from cartridge pens to dip pen calligraphy.

One of the most popular oblique calligraphy pens on the market, the pen in the Speedball Oblique Pen Set has a specially shaped handle which holds one of the six different provided nibs at an oblique angle to make writing curved lettering and scripts even easier without putting strain on the wrists.

This design also makes it much easier to successfully achieve gradients and shading.

Pros

Ideal for learning Copperplate and other scripts without making a big investment

With eight quality pigma ink brush markers in different bold tints, the Sakura 38062 8-Piece Pigma Assorted Colors Brush Pen Set is an excellent choice for calligraphers who want to inject a bit of color into their work.

The brush tip is fine and flexible and responds well with pressure to create a wide variety of clean, flowing lines. These brush calligraphy pens are ideal for both script and drawing.